Fiber optic sensors could revolutionize early detection of volcanic eruptions

Fight Fire with Light: Fiber optic networks power the overwhelming majority of global internet traffic at any given moment. They can also be used to develop extremely precise light-based sensors, giving researchers and authorities the ability to study – and potentially prevent – the most destructive outcomes of volcanic activity. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology, in collaboration with Icelandic scientists, have developed a new method for using fiber optics as sensors to detect volcanic eruptions. The international team created a distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) system and tested its effectiveness on Iceland's volcanically active Reykjanes Peninsula. This region is known for its frequent volcanic activity, characterized by expansive lava fields and underground magma flows. Several eruptions have occurred in recent years, some of which posed serious threats to nearby towns. Thanks to the new DAS technique, residents in this rugged area of Iceland could potentiall ... Read full article.